Archives for September 4, 2014

At a recent conference, a notable–and high profile–Christian leader was heard to comment that he would have to evaluate whether a particular idea would work with the “brand this denomination is trying to create.”

When you listen to any post-game press conference, it doesn’t take long for an athlete to connect their performance on the field to “brand I’m trying to build…”

Is it really about branding for Christian coaches? Not at the beginning!

No matter where you look branding is the hot topic of conversation. Here’s a recent blog post that offered 30 different definitions of the concept of branding.

How do you sort through all that? And what about a brand for coaches? How important is that, especially if you want to make a Kingdom impact with your coaching?

If you’re serious about a kingdom impact, I want to suggest it’s really about identity. Not just any identity…specifically your Christ-given identity.

We all take our identity from different places. I’m a little different guy when I’m a volleyball dad (my daughter plays 7th grade volleyball) than when I’m coaching or working with the FiveTwo Network.

That’s ok, I think, because the core of who Jesus made me to be doesn’t change. It just gets applied a little differently. To my eyes, this is the essence of a personal brand.

And that’s the key: How does your kingdom identity get applied in your various life situations?

How about a new definition of brand: Your brand is how you live from and clearly communicate who Jesus made you to be, so that your relationships and your results are built on a firm foundation.

When you’re clear on your Christ-given identity, you can withstand anything. It won’t always be easy, but you’ll stand. You internalize who Jesus made you to be, and you stand strong and tall.

Isn’t that how you want to show up in your coaching relationships?

For coaches, how you are in your relationships is how you will be in your coaching. You need that firm foundation to be a representation of Jesus in the place where most coaches have the most influence–your coaching relationships!

Here’s one of the key distinctives about coaching with Kingdom impact in mind: everything you do as a coach points to Jesus. Yes, you facilitate learning and growth with your clients, but even more important is the fact that you might be the only person your client encounters who points to Jesus.

Take that seriously.

It’s the ultimate measure of your coaching effectiveness.

Oswald Chambers wrote:

If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain but what He pours through us that really counts.

That sounds like coaching to me.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t put effort and energy into determining a professional brand for your coaching, but if your brand doesn’t match your Christ-given identity, something is not right.

That needs your attention RIGHT NOW.

Brand has to start with identity. What’s yours? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

So, what is YOUR cause?

Let’s talk about getting you focused on the thing(s) that get you up in the morning…or what keeps you up at night!